A Tough Battle
by Sonic2978
Summary: Shana finds herself unable to fight after being severally injured in battle against a Crimson Denizen. But Yuji is there to save her. If anyone can come up with a new title, please let me know.
**Bold Text = Alastor talking.**

Shana and Yuji were on their way home from school talking about the evening training regimen. Shana had suddenly stopped talking in the middle of a sentence and quickly jerked her head with a glare in her eyes as if something had caught her attention.

"You felt that too, right?" Yuji asked.

The Flame Haze nodded. "I take it you did too, Alastor?"

 **"Hmm..."** The Flame of Heaven confirmed. **"A Crimson Denizen. But judging by the power we're sensing, it doesn't seem very powerful."**

"Powerful or not, we should still be careful when dealing with them." The Mystes warned. "Just because it doesn't feel that threatening, doesn't mean it isn't. For all we know, it could just be masking it's full power."

 **"Interesting point, Yuji Sakai."** Alastor praised. **"And with three Flame Haze residing in the same city, that is a very likely possibility. Don't let your guards down."**

"Right." Shana nodded. "Come on, Yuji!"

The Flame Haze took off with Yuji following right her. The two ran for quite awhile looking for the source of the energy they were sensing. Yuji was thankful for all of the training with Shana and Wilhelmina up this point for building up his stamina with how much they were running.

Soon enough, the duo encountered the Denizen they were pursuing right in the middle of downtown Misaki City walking down the sidewalk. He just looked like a normal teenager in a blue shirt, black jacket and jeans. He turned around upon noticing the presence of the Flame Haze and Torch with his narrowed.

Shana quickly pulled out her signature black cloak and katana readying herself for battle along with Yuji doing the very same by pulling Blutsauger from it's bookmark. The look alike teenager turned around to look at the two with a smirk on his face just as a crimson red dome appeared in the surrounding area halting the movement of everyone and everything in the area aside from Shana, Yuji and the Denizen.

"Who are you!?" Shana demanded with a glare.

"My, my..." He said innocently. "A bit hostile aren't we?"

"Answer the question!" Yuji shouted.

 **"Who are you and what do you want with this city!?"** Alastor's booming voice demanded.

"Ah, yes. How rude of me." The Denizen spoke. "The name I go by is Tempest, the Bringer of Omens." He looked at the Flame Haze closer and smiled.

"And judging by that flaming hair and those blazing eyes, you must be none other than the Flaming-Haired, Blazing-Eyed Hunter and Alastor, the Flame of Heaven." Tempest bowed to them. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance."

"Unfortunately, I don't feel the same." The flaming hunter said with hostility.

 **"I can't say I recognize that name."** Alastor said. **"You must be a newborn."**

"Yes, I am." He said a cocky look. "Though, I'll warn you. I may be a new born, but I wouldn't underestimate me if I were you."

"Hmph." Shana huffed. "Your threats are meaningless on me." She started walking toward Tempest tightly gripping her blade in hand. "Stand back, Yuji. I'll make this quick."

"Shana, wait!" He tried to stop, but his attempts were futile seeing as she ignored them.

Tempest just frowned with a sigh. "Why do I even bother warnings?" Then with an evil grin, he snapped a finger causing the ground to rumble under their feet making the hunter start to lose her balance.

"Shana, move!" Yuji warned. "Hurry or you'll fall under!"

She looked down to her feet and her eyes widened when she saw the ground start to split apart and a fissure open up beneath her. But she flew away just in time before it opened up completely landing next to her companion.

 **"What did you just do!?"**

"The ability I possess allows me to cause natural disasters at will." Tempest grinned. "With just the snap of a finger, I can make any natural disaster appear instantly. It can be an earthquake, a tornado, tsunami, volcanic eruption, you name it. I can cause any natural disaster."

He grinned again snapping his fingers causing a tornado to spawn right in between them, but Shana jumped back before she could get pulled in. "I've killed numerous Flame Haze with this power. And this time will be no different!"

 **"With a power like that, this Denizen isn't to be underestimated."** Alastor whispered. **"Keep your guard up you two."**

The flaming haired Flame Haze shot upward as she took to the sky and dived right toward Tempest ready to slash him in two. With the snap of his fingers, he summon another large tornado right in front of her. But she managed to charge straight through and still dive toward him. He summoned a large gust of wind, blowing her back, preventing her from attacking him with the Denizen grinning.

"Just give it up, Flame Haze." He chuckled. "You can't defeat me. You can't touch me."

"Don't be so sure!" She sent several waves of flames at him with the slash of her blade, which he dealt with my using small blasts of water that he summoned. This was meant as a distraction so she could charge in for the kill. Her plan worked as she managed to strike him, but only once before jumped back. He grit his teeth in anger. He looked down on that clothes he was wearing and saw that parts of his body were glowing a light blue where his Power of Existence was flowing out of him.

"Not going to lie, that kind of hurt. But I'm done playing games now, Blazing-Eyed Hunter!" He shouted. "You're starting to make me very angry! I think it's time I turn it up a notch!"

Both Shana and Yuji looked in surprise as his body started to change form. His cloths ripped as his body expanded. He had gone from a looking like a normal human to looking like a large hideous monster. He had large round body, three eyes on his head, sharp fangs for teeth and sharp claws on his feet and hands.

 **"Is this your true form!?"** The Crimson God demanded.

"Yes." Tempest said. His voice had gotten much deeper when he changed his form. "This is the form I take when I fight for real. I don't use it very often. But you're really pissing me off!" He shouted. "I was just holding back before. Prepare to meet your demise, Flame Haze!"

"If anyone's meet their demise here, it's you!" She pointed her blade to the beast.

"You're confidence really riles me up." He said darkly. "It's time I shatter it!"

He clapped his hands together that summoned a giant hurricane right in between them. It appeared too quickly for Shana to get the chance to fly away from it, so she stabbed her katana into the concrete for leverage in hopes that she can stay grounded.

"DIE!" He yelled angrily. He clapped his hands again and the force the hurricane got stronger and the Flame Haze couldn't hold anymore and was sucked into the vortex.

"Augh!" She scream as she was pulled in.

"Shana!" Yuji yelled in horror.

He laughed and clapped his hands together causing the hurricane disperse instantly leaving Shana to fall straight to the ground. Hard. Yuji looked in horror from the distance as he watched the beast slowly walk up to the weakened Flame Haze. Shana struggled to stand up, but was kicked back to the ground by Tempest. He chuckled as he started to torture to weakened Flame Haze.

"Suffer in torture!" Tempest said in enjoyment. "Enjoy your last moments as you suffer in agony!"

Tempest started to punch her hard in the stomach causing the Flame Haze to scream and cry in agony while spitting up blood in the process. She was too weak to fly away or fight back after being whirled around in that hurricane and falling to the hard concrete. Yuji just looked at the scene in horror as he watched the scene from a distance. But his look of horror was soon replaced with pure rage.

After Tempest had his fun torturing the hunter, he grabbed her by the head and lifted her up with a grin on his face.

"Any last words, Hunter?" He asked in a sinister tone.

"Screw you, Denizen!" She shouted as loud as she could muster. The beast started to pull his hand back in attempt to impale her with his claws, but was unable to do so when he felt pain in his back.

"Gah!" He screamed in pain.

"HEY!" Yuji screamed to the Denizen. His eyes had nothing but rage in them with his teeth gritted. "YOU WANT TO SCREW WITH SOMEONE!? COME SCREW WITH ME!"

"What!?" Tempest shouted. "How the hell is a mere human walking inside the Seal!?" He questioned. "Unless...Yes, that's it! You're no human at all! You're a Torch! A Mystes in fact!" He smiled manically. "I'm so glad I came to this city! Now I get a pretty Treasure Tool to take with me as a souvenir! I can't to see what's inside-"

He didn't get a chance to finish talking before Yuji slashed him Blutsauger and throw a ball of silver flame right into his chest making Tempest scream in agony.

"YOU ALL ARE REALLY TESTING MY PATIENCE TODAY!" He screamed as he lunged his claws toward Yuji who managed to evade effortlessly.

Yuji kept avoiding the attacks that Tempest continued to throw at him. He was able to feel his attacker's intent and manage to avoid him. Whenever Yuji saw an opening, he took the chance hit him with a silver flame or slash with Blutsauger.

"H-How!?" Tempest said. "How are you able to avoid my attacks!? How are you using so much Power of Existence!? With all of the power you're using, your flame should be almost burnt out by now! How!?"

"Do you really want to know?" Yuji asked. He closed his eyes and clutched his chest with his hand. "The reason I can use so much Power of Existence is because of the Treasure Tool that I carry inside my body!"

"Wait a minute." Tempest said. "You're carrying the Midnight Lost Child!?"

"Yes." Yuji said. "With it, my Power of Existence replenishes every night at midnight. So I can use my Power of Existence how I see fit as I long as I don't over exert it." He pointed Blutsauger at the Denizen. "But on Denizen's like you, I won't need to use too much." He slashed his blade diagonally through the air getting in a fighting stance.

"You're carrying the Midnight Lost Child..." The Denizen said in disbelief. "There's no way I'm letting this Treasure Tool slip through my fingers! Once I dispose of you, I'll take that tool for myself and deliver it to Bal Masque!"

"I'd like to see you try, Denizen." Yuji said in a low tone with his eyes narrowed.

Just then, Tempest clapped his hands again. The natural disaster to come from it was large lava spout, but it had no effect on the Mystes since Yuji was shielded from it by the Azure Ring he was wearing around his neck. Instead, Yuji was able to redirect it and send it back over it to the Denizen. But Tempest just shielded himself for a few seconds by crossing his arms over his body.

"Argh!" He yelled making a large whirlwind swirl around him making the flames and lava disappear. "You'll have to try harder than that, Mystes!"

"Yu...ji..." He heard Shana's weak voice reach his ears. She had been laying on her stomach watching the fight play out. He could tell she was still in pain when he looked into weak eyes. He turned back to the villain in front of him getting ready to strike.

"Don't worry, Shana." He reassured her. "I'll finish this soon."

"Hmph." The villain huffed. "You? Defeat me? Un-Argh!"

Tempest screamed in sharp pain when he felt several slashes across his torso and stomach as well as a flame pressed to his chest. There was now a lot of Power of Existence flowing out his body.

"D-Damn it!" He shouted angrily. "I refuse! I refuse to be defeat by a Torch! I WON'T BE BEATEN BY A MYSTES!" Right as he finished screaming, a fissure was starting to quickly open up beneath the Torch making Tempest glare. "I'll send you to fiery pits of hell, Mystes! So long!"

Yuji jumped out of the way of the fissure, but it kept opening up. He noticed that while the fissure was opening up, Tempest wasn't moving at all. Tempest wasn't able to move at all when using his power, which was a major drawback. Yuji took the opening to throw several balls of fire at him and attempted to impale his chest, but was punched several feet away.

"Nice try, Mystes!" Tempest said. "You'll have to be quicker than that!"

Yuji didn't have Blutsauger anymore as it flew out his hands when he got hit. It landed at the Denizen's feet when he got punched and was now walking toward Yuji with it tightly in his hands. Yuji stood up, getting in a fighting stance making the Denizen laugh loudly.

"You expect to defeat me without a weapon in your hand now?" He chuckled. "Don't make me laugh! Your weapon is now in my hands to use at my disposal." He made two quick slashes toward Yuji. He just barely managed to dodge the quick, but winced when he felt the blade graze his rib and arm.

"Think you can still beat me with your bare hands?" The Denizen asked. "Let's see!"

He thrust the blade toward the Torch, but moved to the side and connected his fist with the beast's face. Tempest continued to slash at Yuji, but just grazed his body leaving several cuts along his chest, stomach and ribs. Yuji continued to punch and kick the body of the beast with the occasional throwing of a flame at him.

Yuji eventually managed to catch him catch him off guard and throw a large ball of flame at his hands, searing it making him scream in pain and drop Blutsauger. The Torch swiftly used the opportunity to recover his weapon.

"ARGH!" With a yell, Yuji impale the chest of his enemy with a single hard thrust making the villain's eyes bulge wide and scream him pain. "This battle is over now!" Yuji said pressing his blade further into the chest of his enemy.

"Th-This can't...be..." He choked. "I was...defeat by a...Mystes...!?" He choked once more. "I-Imposs...ible..."

Yuji forced his blade into the Denizen a bit more and then with one swift motion pulled it out and slashed his body twice diagonally making the last of his Power of Existence leak from his body, causing him to disappear moments later.

Blutsauger returned to its bookmark form as the Torch panted from the tough fight he had just fought before running to the Flame Haze. He began to worry when he saw that she unconscious.

 **"Don't worry, Yuji."** Alastor noticed his worry. **"She's just unconscious for now. If she were to die, her body would disappear and I'd be sent back to the Crimson Realm."**

"Oh, good." He sighed in relief. Yuji picked up the Flame Haze in his arms and carried her to her apartment.

* * *

 _ **~Several Hours Later~**_

"Mmm..." Shana groaned as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey, there." Yuji greeted. He had been sitting in a chair next to Shana's bed as he watched like a hawk to make sure nothing would come close to her in attempt to harm her. "You were out for quite some time."

"Yuji..." She said. She started to sit up, but felt a wave of pain shoot through her body making a loud groan as she held her torso in pain.

"Don't try to get up." Yuji said calmly. "You're still really injured."

She removed her hands when she felt the pain disappear and looked toward Yuji. Her eyes widened she saw the gashes on his body where he had been slashed by Blutsauger.

"Yuji!" She hollered with a worried tone and look. "You're hurt!"

"You don't worry about me." He smiled. "You just focus on recovering yourself."

She nodded laying back down on the mattress. She closed her eyes for a moment but reopened them moments later, with a light blush on her face.

"Yu-Yuji...?" She stammered.

"Yeah?"

"Come...Come closer..." She requested.

He did as she asked and leaned down closer to her. When he was a bit closer to her, she pulled him down by his neck and felt her press her lips lightly to his cheek. He pulled away from abruptly with a huge red blush on his with his hand on his cheek.

"Wh-What was that for!?" He asked in surprise.

She just looked away slightly with a huge blush on her face as well. "Th-That was for...you know, saving me..." She sat back up with a groan looking at him with a small on his face. "You were pretty cool back there."

He smiled at the compliment. "You really think so?"

"Yeah." She turned her head away, while still looking at him at the corner of her eye. "For once."

She saw the expression on his face turn into a softer one when he sighed making him giggle lightly and turn back to him with a light smile on her face.

"Thank you for saving me, Yuji."


End file.
